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Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Growing up-
Growing up I was the quintessential rolling stone that gathered no moss.

My family moved between Australia and England a few times during my childhood. In Australia we always ended up on the northside of Brisbane (the capital city of Queensland) and Staffordshire in England.

I also danced at competition level, attended school and was the geeky awkward kids… all angles and buck teeth. Hmm…

Favorite games
You know, we had the swimming pool in the backyard and I’m fairly sure that was a huge part of every outdoor activity – not that I could ever call myself sporty.

Board games would have included monopoly and scrabble. My favourite games though included Tic-Tac-Toe and Hangman.

Family pets
I remember we had a golden Labrador, Cracker. For me, it was always dogs. My parents really weren’t cat people and I didn’t get my first cat until I was about thirteen. Then of course, it had to be a Siamese.

When you grew up, you wanted to be ___________. Why?
A foreign correspondent in a war zone. Don’t know why. Maybe I thought it was exciting. Looking back now… well, I’m seriously glad I didn’t.

Favorite music group while a teenager
Phil Collins, Wham, Duran Duran, Visage (go the new romantic movement!) It was a time of good music. Choice wasn’t really limited. Bette Midler, BillyOcean… the list could continue of course.

Now-
Mum to two teenage daughters, living in regional Queensland and a wife, bookstore owner and author. Umm… that’s a bit of a mix really.

I would do anything for/to.
I don’t know about the anything part… but… I would love to be (with my family and dog) the first to step foot on a new planet.

To boldly go where no other human has gone. To colonize the stars. Must be the trekkie in me coming out there…

Candy bar that best describes me. Why?
A mars bar… soft and gooey in the centre but with a harder chocolate coating that you have to bite to get to the centre of.

Your idea of romance…
Quiet, non children time alone with my husband. Stolen lunches… Conference trips :D Lights out, soft music in front of a fireplace and a glass of wine. Bliss.

An embarrassing moment that happened to you written in a newspaper headline.
Oh gee… I don’t have anything like that at all

If I wasn't an author, I would be a/an
Still a bookseller, mother of two, growing chickens and making wine. Oh and probably grumpy & sleepless.

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Alpha Males are the ten percent of males who engage in ninety percent of the total love-making in romance novels. These guys are large and in charge and the leaders of the pack. Strong, usually rich, handsome and powerful, they stride through the pages of romance books, flexing their muscles and kicking ass.

Most women love them and have read about their exploits for centuries. From Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice to today’s romantic heroes in one popular romance after another, we like our males as alpha as possible. Why do we relate to these unpleasant, rude, overbearing, sometimes even abusive (think Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights) men? Are they our fantasy rather than our reality?

In the greater scheme of things in romance novels, the alphas often glow in comparison to the other characters in play. Think Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Angel. Tortured, suffering, and lest we forget, absolutely gorgeous, he was mild, indeed, in comparison to all the demonic, savage, immortal horrors in that show. He was an alpha we could get behind and ignore all those skeletons in his closet.

In my best-selling paranormal series, Dark Hollow Wolf Pack, I can get away with quite a bit because, after all, my wolves have a biological imperative. They have to be as alpha-y as possible, since they are, quite literally, the leaders of their packs. Marco, Casey, Ian and Zack can be over-protective, demanding, take-charge and totally hot, and (mostly) get away with it, because they’re Alphas, and in comparison to the evil, violent Hunters roaming the woods, they’re very much the lesser of two evils. Their dominating behavior can be excused as well, since it’s their inner wolves that make them do it.

Of course, in real life, we’d be positively horrified if our significant other started bossing us around and growling “Mine,” in our ears while laying down the law. No one wants to advocate abusive or even controlling behavior. Rape and abuse of the beta characters are forbidden by all the respected romance publishers, and writers of some alternative romance have to be very careful to obtain their beta character’s enthusiastic consent before submitting them to anything more extreme than torrid kisses. Behavior like this would be hard to stomach in a real life relationship, which is why it always surprises me to have a few readers who comment on how domineering and controlling these alphas are. Well, duh!

These guys represent many women’s fantasies, and like almost all fantasies, they’re not necessarily what we want for our real lives. Alphas are best left to our imaginations and our dreams, and yes, our sexual fantasies.

There they can stride across the screens of our minds, large, handsome, kick-ass and hot as hell. Only there and in the pages of a romance novel can we have our alpha cake and eat it too.

Friday, July 27, 2012

Hello everyone! My name is Misty Burke and I’m so happy to be blogging with you today. You can also find me at http://www.mistyburke.com
But why we’re here, I’d like to take a moment and invite you to the little town of Crowder, Missouri. In fact, come and spend some time with me on the Caterwaul Ranch. My paranormal romance series, Katt Tales, is the perfect get-a-way!
Here is the blurb and excerpt for the first story in the series – Chasing Tabby.

Blurb
The town of Crowder is werecat territory and the Katt family has lived on the Caterwaul Ranch for generations. But when a pack of werewolves start ravaging the land, Tabitha Katt is surprised to learn that her brother has sent a very human cowboy to protect her.

Brown sure knows how to make her blood run hot, so when he gets bitten by one of the wolves they have to decide ... can there be any love between a werecat and a werewolf?

Excerpt

Tabitha sat on the front porch and looked out onto the Caterwaul Ranch. The forty acres of rolling hills had been in her family for generations. It was a part of who she was. This patch of Missouri horse country defined her.

A faint breeze reminded her it was spring. She stretched her arms over head and let the afternoon sun warm her face as she sat on the porch swing. Tabitha let out a deep sigh and tried to lose herself in the peacefulness around her. She needed to take a moment and focus on these things before the all-consuming worry set in again.

It was a worry felt by all the local ranchers. A pack of wolves had crossed into the territory and was hungrily feeding on their livestock. The growing number of veterinary calls Tabitha had taken in the past few days testified to that fact. Vicious mauling and killings were becoming commonplace. The ranchers feared for their livelihood. And as the pack came closer and closer to civilization, the townspeople started fearing for themselves too.

A gray cat hopped onto the porch and circled her leg. As Tabitha reached down to pet the ranch’s best mouser, she heard a noise in the distance. A truck making its way up the muddy road, "We have a visitor." She stood and smoothed out her sundress. "It’s probably the knight in shining armor my brother ordered." Her fears turned to annoyance at the thought. Thomas should come home and deal with this himself. Not send in a useless replacement.

The four-wheel drive pulled up in a cloud of dust. Tabitha choked back a cough and watched as her furry companion ran for the barn. "Thanks a lot." She let her auburn hair out of its makeshift bun and it fell around her shoulders. "Time to charm a cowboy," she said to herself as she watched a black Stetson appear from the driver’s side door.

Dark curls edged around the brim of that hat, with a ruggedly handsome face underneath. "Ma’am." The cowboy offered her a dazzling smile as he reached the porch steps. "Name’s Jake Brown. Your brother asked me to stop by and…" His voice trailed off as she starred up at him.

The hairs on the back of her neck pricked to attention. Goose bumps raced down both arms. "I’m Tabitha Katt." She offered him her hand and tried not to notice the well-defined muscles underneath his black t-shirt. "But Thomas was mistaken. You really shouldn’t have driven all this way."

Jake ignored her extended hand and leaned back onto his truck. "Now you see there, I don’t think it’s a mistake at all. I’ve come here to protect you against some big bad wolves and that’s what I intend to do."

Tabitha caught a scent of something foreign in the air. The attraction she felt for this cocky cowboy was over. She dropped her hand to her side and curled both hands into fists. He brought something with him. Her nails dug into her palms, and she turned to go inside the main house. "Leave, Mr. Brown. You couldn’t protect me if you tried.

Monday, July 23, 2012

Growing up- Growing up was an adventure for me. I was a very independent little girl. I walked to school from the time I was seven years old, had a best friend who lived two houses down who shared in my escapades. If I wasn’t making clothes for my paperdolls, reading or playing board games, I was out with Laurie, climbing the fire escapes at the local synagogue. We played imaginative games running up and down those rickety, rusty stairs from floor to floor, laughing and carrying on. No one ever knew we were there playing as we never got caught. Sometimes I shudder when I recall how dangerous that was. But it made me bold and confident, which carried over into my schoolwork. I became a star in elementary school.

Favorite games (board games and outdoor activity) I’m sure I’m going to date myself on this one. Monopoly was a huge favorite with me. We used to set up two boards and have double the money. You could play this game for days, which we did. We even set up checking accounts with the bank and wrote checks. Outside games – well you couldn’t beat Ringaleevio, played with boys and girls in middle school. I also made up stories (precursor to my fiction writing) I acted out with my cousin, Andee in the backyard. And played horses with my neighbor and dear friend, Lydia. Impromptu games of kick ball sprung up on our street in the warmer weather. I was good at that and loved to play. I adored the outdoors, wanting to be outside all the time in warmer weather and was a very active child, often wearing out friends and family.

Family pets My brother brought home a dog who followed him from Hebrew school. He was allowed to keep the dog he named, “Boy”. No, he’s not the writer in the family. Boy was a Gordon Setter mix and an amazing dog. He followed me to school once. They kept the doors of the school open in those days. I was in the second grade and remember looking at the classroom door, horrified to find my dog standing there. I tried to hide behind my desk, but with his long snout, Boy picked me out immediately. He came trotting over, proud to have found me and licked my face, “outing” me as his owner. I had to take him to the office, call my mother who had to come pick him up. The principal was ticked off. So was my mother. Boy came to a sad end but left an indelible, loving paw print on my brother and myself.

Favorite holiday memory
There are many because holidays were the happiest times in my house growing up. Beloved aunts, uncles and cousins came to visit, brightening my days. I’d often sit by the big picture window when they were due, waiting to see their car come up the street. Christmas couldn’t be beat. Thanksgiving was also a favorite and still is as well as Passover. These were jolly times, stories and jokes were told, people ate fabulous food and spirits were high. I’m still a lover of holidays, perhaps as a reminder of the happiest times of my earlier life. Of course the one Thanksgiving when we discovered my black kitten standing on the turkey before we brought the bird to the table was a stand-out. We shooed him off and plopped the huge turkey on the dining room table as if nothing had happened. My mother and I laughed about that for many years.

When you grew up, you wanted to be ___________. Why?

I’ve always wanted to be a writer, even when I was seven years old. I’m not sure why, but I thought writers were the most exciting people on Earth. Of course now that I am one, I know better! LOL. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that I made up stories often when I was young. Or that my parents respected writers. And I was a reader, constantly with my nose in a book when I wasn’t running around. I feel lucky to be now what I dreamed of becoming when I was a child.

Favorite music group while a teenager

The Beatles, of course! Their music shook up the world of rock and roll and I loved every moment of it.
The Beach Boys. They were so adorable as well as talented.

Now-

I would do anything for/to ____________.
I would do anything to bring happiness to a friend, DH or my children. It’s corny, perhaps, but I’ve been in love with happy endings in life as well as literature ever since I can remember. And the wisdom of a few years experience (okay, maybe more than a few years) has not changed my optimist expectations or outlook.

Candy bar that best describes me. Why? Milky Way – because even if frozen, I’m still soft in the middle. And if not frozen, take a bite through the sweet chocolate outer layer and find a gooey soft center, that’s me.

Your idea of romance (ex. an event, a moment, a gift)
Most romantic gift I’ve ever received was from DH – tix to see the “So You Think You Can Dance” dancers live on stage in New York City. It showed so much thought and advance preparation, I was stunned, wow’d and in love.

Most romantic setting – a quiet place outdoors, perhaps in a green field, a sunny day, a luscious picnic and a hunky guy. Throw in a blanket, some bird songs, a couple of butterflies…total peace. I wouldn’t be able to resist him for a second.

An embarrassing moment that happened to you written in a newspaper headline.
Idiot Inexperienced Radio Copywriter Puts Commercial Through as Live that Should have Been Recorded. Subhead: Causes DJ to read “tip, tip, tip” (a sound effect) 42 times on the air!!
Sub subhead: Nice DJ Allows Copywriter to Live.

If I wasn't an author, I would be a/an____________.
I would be utterly miserable. Writing is my life. I guess I’d write stories in the sand at the beach with my finger or tell them to whoever would listen. There isn’t anything else I want to do.

Please visit as many SCP authors' blogs as you can for more chances to win individual prizes as well as the Kindle Fire being offered by Secret Cravings Publishing.

Please enter a valid email address and a comment at each blog stop for individual author prizes.
To be eligible for the grand prizes please follow these directions.
Find the summertime themed picture- pictures will be one-click away from the blogs' main page.
Please DO NOT leave the description of the picture in the comment section of every blog-this will eliminate you from the grand prize awards.
Save all those answers and email answers/descriptions to secretcravingspublishing@yahoo.com.

*All answers for picture description must be in ONE email to the above mentioned email address.

Winners and main prizes will be announced on Tuesday, July 24, 2012 here and on Secret Cravings facebook fan page.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

FREE: How could anyone not like the word free. Especially when it’s added to the word sample, clothing, etc.BOOK: Another word that I could never live without. A book can take me to a new world, a new time, and when I am stressed, a new mini-reality.WRITING: I love this word because honestly, this year has been rough. So I love when I get to write a character out of a story. I love to write the make up sex and the funerals. When you have a friend who is an author, be loving. Because you never know when you might get killed off, and never know it.HUG: A blanket to wrap around your soul.RELEASE DATE: I know that it’s two words, but dayum. How can you not love them? They are two that are always meant to be together.

So, when SCP gave me my own release date of 7/7/12, I wanted to be the cow that jumped over the moon. I was so happy. But...I messed that up too. I have a desire to make sure that when others want something done, it gets done right away. So my release date moved to 6/30/12. That gave me an early birthday present.
So, since you are tired of listening to my favorite words, I’m going to give you what I hope is some of your new favorite words:
***

It seemed more and more lately that no matter how hard she tried, he looked right through her. It was infuriating and heart breaking. She'd had enough heartbreak during the past year to last her a lifetime. Her mother had been sick battling cancer all last year. Unfortunately she’d lost the battle. She’d made sure to pass on information to Mary while on her deathbed though.

Something Mary had never seen coming. She was adopted. Her world felt as if she had lost all control.

The adoption information that her mother had left with her will quickly found its way into the trash. Why would she want to find someone who didn't want her? She had enough instances of that in her own home. She did wonder, after a year, if she had reacted too rashly. You never know when you'll need family, and if she met her biological mother maybe she could figure out who she was, inside and out.

Mary plopped herself on the bed and let out a huge rush of air. There was no way Joe hadn’t noticed her outfit. She had bought it specifically for their ten-year anniversary night.

She remembered how she had anxiously awaited this evening and decided that she would make it perfect no matter how she was feeling. Every year on this day, they left the house at four twenty five and drove to the lake where he had romantically declared his undying love and proposed to her. He always hired a horse drawn carriage. The prancing steed would take them from the lake to a lovely candlelit dinner for two. After having one too many glasses of wine and a wonderful meal, they would enjoy a leisurely stroll to the theater. Wicked was currently playing on Broadway, and she couldn’t wait to hear the music that made her soul dance and her heart soar. Re-reading the book several times had her excited, and she knew the night would be perfect.

Then reality reared its ugly head.

Carefully she unlaced her corset and tossed the silky white thong in the corner; it still held the dampness from her unquenched desire.

"I can't believe I wasted my time and effort on this. Sometimes my husband is such a jerk," when she took a look around it dawned on her that she was talking to herself. Another deep breath and swish of hair and she mused, "I guess it's okay to talk to myself as long as I don't answer back, huh CC?"

She slipped her silk robe on quickly and snatched the cat from his slumberous repose. He squirmed to free himself but Mary kissed his little nose first. "Don't be like your daddy, at least notice I'm here." She placed the cat gently on the bed and started her morning ritual. Getting ready for work was the last thing she was interested in.
**
So what do you think of Mary and CC? There is one thing you can be sure of, if there is a book by AJ Best, there will be a cat in it.

Here’s an idea for you, in the comments below, leave 3 of your favorite words and why. And since I love you so much, I will give one lucky commenter a copy of Forgiveness by Moi and I’ll see if I can come up with a GREAT song from your favorite words. So the winner gets one copy of Forgiveness and a Song. If the winner would like to have an autograph, I suggest that they go to www.kindlegraph.com and request one.

Monday, July 16, 2012

Growing up-
I was pretty spoiled by my parents, and enjoyed every minute of it. Seriously, I had a wonderful childhood. I always thought that if I ever got famous, I would have nothing to blame my neuroses on—can’t say it was because of a lousy childhood, that’s for sure. Nope, it’s all on me.

Favorite games (board games and outdoor activity)
Paper dolls. I’m probably dating myself, but I loved them, and my paper dolls had wonderful, exciting adventures. I spent hours in my room, dressing them up in their glam outfits for dates with their boyfriends, and fabulous trips to Paris. No outdoor activity for me—yuck! Always an inveterate couch potato. My poor mom used to try to get me to go outside “to get some sun.” Not for me. I kept my little white ass inside and read my books and talked on the phone. A lot. As a young teenager, I did like to go out in the warm summer evenings with my best buddy and ride bikes in the neighborhood. Sometimes we’d sneak over to a nearby park near the lake and smoke cigarettes we’d smuggled out of the house and meet up with some older boys who rode motorcycles. We were so bad. Once we almost got caught by my girlfriend’s mother, who rode slowly by in her car. We found a ladder some workmen left behind and climbed up to the roof of the boathouse to hide. It didn’t work, of course. She saw our bikes and we were busted anyway.

Family pets
Dogs! We always had dogs growing up, and they were my best buddies.

Favorite holiday memory
Every fourth of July, we’d go to the Smoky Mountains on vacation for a week. My siblings and I swam in the motel pool until we were waterlogged and pruny. Then at night, we’d all walk downtown and buy cheap souvenirs and eat funnel cakes.

When you grew up, you wanted to be ___________. Why?
A teacher. I was always so bossy, and liked to talk and tell stories so much. Still do!

Favorite music group while a teenager
Anything hard rock. AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Kiss...

Now-
Still dreadfully spoiled—by my husband this time. Still enjoying every minute of it.

(Think of the TV commercial for Klondike ice cream bars) I would do anything for/to.
A trip to just about anywhere. Always sitting on GO. Seriously, I love to travel, and I’ve done a lot of it. I still have a lot of places I want to see.

Candy bar that best describes me. Why?
A Sugar Daddy. Do you know what those are? They’re all caramelly and sweet and just pure sugar on a stick. And you hold them in your mouth and...oh, is this getting a little too risque? I always take it a little too far. Story of my life.

Your idea of romance (ex. an event, a moment, a gift)
My husband and I went to Paris a few years ago. We were jet lagged and couldn’t sleep, so close to midnight, we left the hotel and went to the Eifel Tower. Standing up there, looking over the lights of the city—midnight in Paris—it doesn’t get much more romantic!

An embarrassing moment that happened to you written in a newspaper headline.
Woman Almost Kills Boyfriend at Funeral in Tragic Accident
Shortly after I met my husband, he took me to the funeral of a cousin of his. Very sad, but as we left, we were walking down a steep gravel hill. (very small country church in Alabama) I was wearing high heels and stepped on a rock. My feet went out from under me. My sweetie tried to help by grabbing my arm and pulling me up. That put me off balance, so my feet swept right under his, knocking him down, and we rolled together to the bottom of the hill. I just lay there, panty hose in shreds, dress way up around my hips, laughing hysterically, and getting some very outraged looks from his relatives. He was mortified! He yanked me up and took me to the car, then administered first aid to my skinned knees. He married me anyway. Lord knows why.

If I wasn't an author, I would be a/an
Can I pick anything? A heavy metal rock star, with tattoos, black hair, kohl lined eyes and an eyepatch.

Saturday, July 7, 2012

Meet the SCP Author Jennifer Labelle.
It's time to find out more about some of your favorite SCP authors

Growing up-

Favorite games (board games and outdoor activity) Jennifer: Board games? I guess I'd have to say checkers, but I much preferred to play cards, crazy eights, war, go fish, A$$hole and a few others. My favorite outdoor activity? Swimming, although I'm not very good at it.

Family pets Jennifer: Yep, a dog named max and a cat named Friskie.

Favorite holiday memory Jennifer: That would be the year my mother made her first attempt at gravy...lol she didn't like it so she never made it until one year back in 1991 a good friend of hers, Cheryl joined us for thanksgiving and persuaded her too. It didn't turn out so great so Cheryl ended up taking over, and making it herself. My mother was a pretty great cook so it was comical to see her attempt such an easy thing unsuccessfully. It's also one of the last thanksgivings I had with her, as she died two years later.

When you grew up, you wanted to be Jennifer: A FASHION DESIGNER. Why? I was obsessed with clothes back then. So much so, for birthday's, christmas' etc... I asked for clothes over toys. I've changed so much since then...lol

Favorite music group while a teenager Jennifer: Oh Geez, do I only get to pick one? Okay then, Metallica, I guess.

Now-

(Think of the TV commercial for Klondike ice cream bars) I would do anything for/to ____________. Jennifer: Sorry, I'm not sure how to answer this one. I haven't seen a Klondike commercial in awhile.

Candy bar that best describes me. Why?Jennifer: I'd love to say sweet and bubbly like an Aero bar, but bubbly I am not...lol Sweet however... *grins* Um, I'm not sure but I'm open to suggestions.

Your idea of romanceJennifer: Flowers from the hubby is about as good as it gets for me, unfortunately. But, then again with three small children there isn't a lot of time to be romantic.

An embarrassing moment that happened to you written in a newspaper headline.Jennifer: Hell, I've had a ton of embarrassing moments in life, too many to count, but thankfully it's never been newspaper worthy...LMAO

If I wasn't an author, I would be a/an____________. Jennifer: I still be a full time mother, an addictions worker, a bank specialist, collector, tax preparer, an artist, photographer or anything else I was before, or ever dreamed of being. I'm a firm believer of not giving up if I want something bad enough, and have had to fight hard to be were I'm at today.